Li-Air Battery - Fill-er up!
Posted by Max Dunn Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:11:00 GMT
A lithium air (Li-air) battery with a novel structure is looking very promising for use in battery-powered vehicles.
One problem with battery-powered vehicles (and an argument for hydrogen fuel-cells) is that it takes a while to recharge the batteries. While this is fine for city driving (since the batteries can be recharged overnight) it makes it tough to drive a long distance, like driving from San Jose to ski at Lake Tahoe.
This Li-air battery could solve the problem of long charge times by allowing service stations to replace the liquid electrolytes and metallic lithium cassette, allowing battery-powered cars to be driven continuously.
Then the metallic lithium can be electrically regenerated from the used liquid electrolyte making the process sustainable.
This Li-air battery could prove very useful in making battery-powered vehicles more practical.
(Reference: AIST Develops New-type ‘Li-air Battery’)